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Last update - 09:52 07/01/2008 Mr. Bush, you were born to make peace By Bradley Burston Tags: Bush, peace process, Israel  Mr. President, welcome to Jerusalem, city of David, of Jesus, of Mohammad. As a man of faith, you have come to know the power of this place. As a man of power, you have come to know how formidable its dilemmas, its sorrows, its conflicts, its claimants. Welcome, then, to a city which craves peace as no other, and a city which, by its very stature, stands in its way. As a man of realism, you know that those who make peace are also subject to terrible sacrifice. It is, one supposes, unfair to ask anyone to make such a sacrifice. But there is, at this moment of history, no one else to ask. Mr. Bush, this is your time. This is the most significant and toughest challenge of your presidency. This will be an unsparing test of your faith. This is the biblical struggle of our age. Before you decide whether to make this kind of commitment, however, a word of caution: Do this right, and friends will turn on you. Do this right, and the loneliness of your office will take on new meaning. How will you know whether to stake your legacy to this place? You'll know very soon. If Israel utters - or acts according to - the phrase "We will pursue talks as if there were no terror, and we will fight terror as if there were no talks" - give up. Right away. Nothing will come of this peace initiative. Turn your attention to Iran, to Iraq, to health care, to Republican hopefuls. If Israel undermines Palestinian Authority campaigns to combat West Bank violence with military operations of its own, as it did just this week, chalk up this trip to a perk of your presidency, a junket of spiritual tourism, and let it go at that. If the Palestinians with whom you negotiate are not 100 percent committed to the measures required for statehood, including deep reform of corruption, serious and immediate attention to crying social welfare needs, and unapologetically effective security agencies, don't waste your time and theirs. If there is no authentic Israeli commitment to curb settlements and demolish illegal outposts, if there is no willingness to ease travel restrictions, foster employment of Palestinians or coordinate policy with PA officials, shake hands all around, nod for the cameras, and take your leave. Should you decide to take on a peacemaker's role in earnest, however - and you can bet that your experts will show you maps, plans, timetables, scenarios galore - here is what you'll really need: 1.Respect for the Palestinians. Listen. Honor, as they do, their ability to stand fast in the face of pressure, and their need to redress a humiliation symbolized by the events that saw the birth of Israel in 1948. 2. Respect for the Israelis. Listen. Honor, as they do, their ability to stand up to external pressure, and their need to address a fear of such overwhelming dimension that only a Holocaust could have brought it about. It may occur to you that the central equation - humiliation versus fear - is as simple as it is insoluble: Palestinians, in an effort to address their humiliation, verbally threaten and physically attack Israelis, reinforcing their fears. Israelis, in their efforts to address and contain their fears, routinely and in myriad ways act to humiliate Palestinians. After 60 years, the only substantive change in the equation has been that Palestinians have come to feel more fear, and Israelis, more humiliation. It will require every ounce of your creativity and humanity to finesse the basic equation in a balanced manner, bearing in mind that neither side desires balance but both, in a larger sense, require it. Israelis and Palestinians both believe that resistance to external pressure is at the root of their survival as peoples, against all odds, against all comers. Mr. Bush, welcome to the world capital of the word No. 3. Resistance to clergy. Holy men will seek to hinder you. Fundamentalist clergy, whether Muslim, Jewish or Christian, will advise you that your God, the one God of Muhammad, Jesus and David, exclusively favors only one side in the conflict, and, in the bargain, commands the use of overwhelming violence. 4. The end of your political career, as you know it. Statesmanship may well require the renunciation of partisan politics and sectarian ideology. Even in an election year. Especially in an election year. You must be prepared to broker the best deal for both sides, a deal which both sides will doubtless find distasteful, but which neither side will find indigestible. 5. Blind faith. Listen to the voices which go unheard. Arab and Jew, there is a majority which is willing to see past its grief, its legitimate rage, its undeniable claims to the Holy Land, in order to share this land - and this city - with the other. This is your time. You will never again be in this position. This may well be the mission you were put on this earth to pursue. As a man of conscience, you must now decide your calling. No less than any other, you were born to make peace. The choice is yours alone. ______________ Previous blogs: Here's to the '67 borders, the new middle of the road Hamas - If we can kill them, we can talk to them Self Test: Are you a fanatic on the Middle East? People who hate the very idea of peace Nine reasons Annapolis will succeed Bookmark to del.icio.us   And the winner is Haaretz's Gideon Levy wins prize for cultural dialogue. The Amona syndrome Gov't fears it will pay the public price of removing outposts.   1.   Bush Will Fail as Will Others 16:50  |  Howard 08/01/08   2.   Burston, start the ball rolling by setting personal example 19:48  |  Easy Writer 08/01/08   3.   Burston Good Words 21:20  |  Bandar Michaels 08/01/08   4.   Bradley, Just Because One Is "Paranoic" It Does Not Mean That .. 01:22  |  Tim R 09/01/08   5.   Right message, wrong guy 10:11  |  Jason_M 09/01/08   6.   Mr. Burston ! is Mr. Rosner around ? 11:08  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 09/01/08   7.   Mr. Burston ! how about Mr. DICK Chenny ? 11:11  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 09/01/08   8.   Look Haaretz ! 11:15  |  ... 09/01/08   9.   Born to make peace? There are a couple caveats 11:16  |  Natallie Durson 09/01/08   10.   Mr. Burston, are you loughing now :) 11:30  |  ... 09/01/08   11.   Yea, Bush a man of peace, silly me I thought different! 11:40  |  Mark Hamil 09/01/08   12.   If not for dick cheney there`d still be a saddam husein to pay th 11:41  |  Trembling Palestine 09/01/08   13.   HE WILL CONVERT TO JUDAISM, BELIEVE ME ON THIS 11:49  |  indrajaya 09/01/08   14.   HE WILL CONVERT TO JUDAISM, BELIEVE ME ON THIS 11:49  |  indrajaya 09/01/08   15.   Give me a break! 12:06  |  David Howard 09/01/08   16.   Surely Bradley you jest! 12:07  |  Shechinah 09/01/08   17.   Jerusalem craves peace? Since when? 12:13  |  Shechinah 09/01/08   18.   bradley what are you on ? happy pills 12:14  |  victor hardman 09/01/08   19.   why Israel wants Palestinians go to Jordan ? 12:39  |  ... 09/01/08   20.   See you, George - don`t let the door hit you on the way out 12:39  |  Clickfool 09/01/08   21.   Bradley, remember you can`t make a silk purse out a sow`s ear 12:42  |  Clickfool 09/01/08   22.   I agree with David Howard 12:44  |  Edith 09/01/08   23.   TEMPLE MOUNT AND THE MOSQUE 12:46  |  ... 09/01/08   24.   Burston, flattery will get you nowhere 13:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 09/01/08   25.   clickfool as a guardian reader you would be aware 13:18  |  brighton rock 09/01/08   26.   born under a bad sign 13:26  |  the real george 09/01/08   27.   Edith...he just may be the right person 13:29  |  Lynn 09/01/08   28.   # 20 Clicky...actually Bush isn`t the worse 13:34  |  Lynn 09/01/08   29.   WHO USES WHO ? 13:40  |  ... 09/01/08   30.   Burston´s sugar coated article gives us heartburn 13:46  |  AliciaYasmeen 09/01/08   31.   peace process 14:10  |  mohamed iqbal 09/01/08   32.   JERUSALEM IS NOT THE CITY OF MUHAM! 14:16  |  Iskander 09/01/08   33.   burston is right!! lookit all the peace i brought!! 14:19  |  the real george 09/01/08   34.   THE BUSH`S ARE BORNE FOR MONEY 14:20  |  Ernest Graefenberg 09/01/08   35.   Like a Medieval Protected Jew,Burston weasels his way up ino grac 14:24  |  Absolute Sweden 09/01/08   36.   i dont care to much for money! money cant buy me love! 14:26  |  the real george 09/01/08   37.   Bush Can`t Even Tie His Shoes 14:38  |  dyinglikeflies 09/01/08   38.   For Lynn # 27 14:43  |  Clickfool 09/01/08   39.   Bush`s terrible service to Israel; the saga continues 14:48  |  Tosefta 09/01/08   40.   # iskander ! PROPHET MUHAMMED (S.A.S) WAS IN JERUSALEM ONCE 15:07  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 09/01/08   41.   BRAVO BRADLEY 15:13  |  Daniel Fulop 09/01/08   42.   No Peace no Bush no problem 15:28  |  Petra 09/01/08   43.   Clickfool 15:30  |  Nik "BANNED" Miller 09/01/08   44.   # 10 Atilla go to school! 15:30  |  Petra 09/01/08   45.   Clickfool (Third attempt) 15:30  |  Nik "BANNED" Miller 09/01/08   46.   BLIND SUPPORT TO THE ZIONIST TERROR MACHINE IS THE PROBLEM 15:33  |  TrippleJump 09/01/08   47.   Bush dynastry: born to make wars and create chaos 15:34  |  kokonot 09/01/08   48.   Next for Burston - Mr. Ahmedinejad, YOU were born to make peace! 15:39  |  Boris 09/01/08   49.   # 36 Dying like flies pardon me? 15:39  |  Petra 09/01/08   50.   # 27 Lynn Carter sucked but Bush 15:44  |  Petra 09/01/08   51.   In a dream I went to the moon, 15:53  |  Nick 09/01/08   52.   PETRA, I AM ONLY WHAT THE GOD HAS GIVEN ME 15:56  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 09/01/08   53.   hot air 16:08  |  david kohn 09/01/08   54.   To my friend Indrajaya 16:09  |  Abraham 09/01/08   55.   Burston, always the fool 16:12  |  Sidney 09/01/08   56.   Bush, a peace maker? 16:17  |  The Arab Hammer 09/01/08   57.   JERUSALEM IS JEWISH, YOU ARE ALSO WELLCOME TO MECCA 16:22  |  ... 09/01/08   58.   #27 Lynn 16:46  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/01/08   59.   An impartial peacemaker is needed 16:50  |  ghostoflutherblisset 09/01/08   60.   Bush is a hero we all salute him 16:58  |  Abdul Aziz Higazi 09/01/08   61.   # 37 Clicky...if you follow the elections here, 16:58  |  Lynn 09/01/08   62.   # 48 Petra... 17:01  |  Lynn 09/01/08   63.   # 51, ABRAHAM 17:17  |  indrajaya 09/01/08   64.   History revisionism will not bring peace 17:19  |  Bo 09/01/08   65.   Petra, 47- Peace Not Only Possible but Easy 17:26  |  dyinglikeflies 09/01/08   66.   3 54 Chris Linthwaite...I guess we have our favorite 17:26  |  Lynn 09/01/08   67.   # 53 Arab Hummer 17:29  |  Lynn 09/01/08   68.   Atilla...no one but Muslims are welcome at Mecca. 17:34  |  Lynn 09/01/08   69.   Burston correct with his analysis, every American president.... . 17:40  |  Smadar 09/01/08   70.